Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry.

PERSONNEL

IMG Appoints Jackie Stevenson as Chief Client & Operations Officer

IMG announced it has appointed Jackie Stevenson into the newly created role of chief client & operations officer. The appointment is part of the centralized leadership structure IMG unveiled in April. Reporting to IMG president Adam Kelly, Stevenson will lead client delivery and operations globally and will bring together IMG’s consulting, media rights, brand partnerships, production, digital, data and event management capabilities. Stevenson was most recently global chief strategy & innovation officer at M+C Saatchi.

USMNT Vet Cherundolo Named Coach of U.S. U-23 MNT

Steve Cherundolo, a three-time World Cup veteran and former MLS Cup-winning coach, has been appointed by the U.S. Soccer Federation as the new head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team that will compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics. Cherundolo will lead identification camps where he will select and help develop a team that will train at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Ga., and participate in international friendlies ahead of the Summer Games.

Sunderland AFC Women Appoint James Gray as CEO

Sunderland AFC Women have appointed James Gray as the club’s new chief executive officer, commencing Sept. 1. Gray joins the club following an executive career spanning more than 25 years across sports, media, technology and global consumer brands. As CEO, Gray will have executive responsibility for Sunderland AFC Women’s strategic direction, commercial performance, financial sustainability and operational leadership, working closely with Bay Collective leadership.

Whoop Names Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren Chief Marketing Officer

Whoop, the tech wearables company, named Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren as chief marketing officer. Van Hameren is a former Nike global chief marketing officer and two-time Olympian. He spent more than three decades at Nike, where he rose from the mailroom at the company’s European headquarters. At Whoop, van Hameren will lead global marketing across brand, creative, international markets, media, athlete and sports partnerships, and product storytelling.

PARTNERSHIPS

Pro Padel League Announces Multiyear Partnership With Kalshi

The Pro Padel League (PPL) announced a multiyear partnership with the prediction market platform Kalshi. As the Official Prediction Market Partner of the PPL, Kalshi will let fans bet on the outcome of PPL games. Kalshi’s partnership with the Pro Padel League includes a series of fan and VIP activations, such as exclusive pro clinics and co-branded giveaways.

MLS, Avery Dennison Extend Licensing Agreement

Major League Soccer (MLS) and Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY) announced an extension to their licensing agreement. Avery Dennison’s role includes being the official licensee for names, numbers and jersey sleeve logos for the league’s 30 clubs, supporting both matchday and retail operations. The extended agreement also aims to boost “in-venue labor optimization and improve supply chain efficiency.”

Kansas Athletics Announces Strategic Jersey Patch Partnership

Kansas Athletics announced a multiyear partnership with Ripple, the provider of blockchain payment services. Through the agreement, in collaboration with Learfield, an XRP jersey patch will be featured on all Kansas team uniforms, marking the first time a cryptocurrency will be integrated into the jersey of a major college athletics program. Ripple will also have branding across Kansas athletic venues, digital properties and event signage.

Elevate Named Stadium Ticketing Strategy Partner for Gotham FC Move

Elevate, a sports and entertainment consulting firm, announced a major partnership with Gotham FC as the club prepares for a move to New York City FC’s Etihad Park beginning in 2028. As Gotham FC’s stadium ticketing partner, Elevate will oversee the design and execution of the club’s ticket sales strategy for Etihad Park. Elevate will lead a dedicated team responsible for all ticketing products, including suites, premium seating and general seating memberships.

Croatian Football Federation Signs 5-Year VAR Technology Deal

Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, and the Hrvatski nogometni savez (HNS), the Croatian Football Federation, announced that they’ve officially entered into a multiyear agreement to deliver Video Assistant Referee (VAR) services across Croatia’s football competitions. The finalized agreement secures a five-year term, running from the 2026-27 season through the 2030-31 season. Hawk-Eye will deploy its technology across Croatia’s top tier of domestic football.

Teladoc Health Named Preferred Virtual Care Provider of NBPA

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced Teladoc Health (NYSE: TDOC) as its Preferred Virtual Care Provider. The partnership provides active and retired NBA players and their families with preferred access to Teladoc Health’s virtual care services, including primary care, 24/7 urgent care and preventive health screenings.

Formula 1 and DK Announce Global Publishing Partnership

DK and Formula 1 have announced a new global publishing partnership, delivering a multiyear program of officially licensed titles for fans of all ages. Launching in November, the partnership will feature a range of gift, activity and educational books, designed to celebrate the sport’s history, personalities and cultural impact. They said the first launch “focuses on family-friendly titles, with future publications covering the broader action of the series, on and off the track.”

Tudor and UTMB World Series Announce Global Partnership

UTMB World Series and Tudor, the Swiss watchmaker, announced a three-year global collaboration that will see Tudor be Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series. Tudor will be present across all 67 UTMB World Series events worldwide. The collaboration will officially debut at Trail Verbier St-Bernard by UTMB on July 10.

PRODUCTS

Greg Maffei, Danny Epstien to Launch Horse Racing League

Greg Maffei, former CEO of Liberty Media, and Skylark Founder Danny Epstien announced the launch of the HRL (Horse Racing League), a new team-based thoroughbred racing league debuting in February 2027. Hosted at three storied venues in the sport—debuting at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles and picking up at Miami’s Gulfstream Park before the season finale at Keeneland in Lexington—they said HRL “is positioned to transform horse racing into a season-long team sport where celebrity and brand-owned stables travel across key U.S. markets, competing for points toward a championship title.”

PURCHASES

LeagueApps Acquires National Center for Safety Initiatives

LeagueApps, a youth sports management platform, announced the acquisition of the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), the provider of in-depth background checks and comprehensive safety services for youth sports organizations in the United States. NCSI is the only provider named in United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee policy and has partnered with the country’s National Governing Bodies and leading sports organizations for more than 20 years. NCSI will operate as a separate division within LeagueApps, with its leadership team, customer relationships, and operations intact.